August 7 – Happy Birthday, Betsy Byars

In 1971, this children's book won the Newbery Medal for today's famous birthday, Betsy Byars. Of course, Byars has written other novels for kids you may enjoy.

Byars was a kid and a teen during a very difficult time in U.S. history. During her childhood in North Carolina, the country was going through the Great Depression. And when she was high school age, World War II was raging all over the place.

After college, Byars married a graduate student who eventually became a professor of engineering. Byars raised four children and wrote for magazines - and eventually wrote books that were published.

Here are two fun facts about Byars:

(1) Both Betsy Byars and her husband Ed are licensed pilots. That's cool but not that unusual...but, get this: they live on an airstrip, and the bottom floor of their house is an airplane hangar!!

That's really cool! And unusual!

(2) Two of Byars's kids became children's writers, too, and the three of them have worked on several novels together!

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This site is designed to be a source of interesting articles for kids and a resource for teachers and parents (especially homeschool teacher/parents!). From world holidays to historical anniversaries, Every Day Is Special celebrates each and every day.